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Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL


Interests


  • Gurvinder is the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus and CEO of the KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council). He has worked in the voluntary sector in Kent since 1999 and established Cohesion Plus in 2008 to compliment the work he was already doing around equality and diversity.  The focus of his work is to use the arts and community engagement to bring people together, showcase culturally diverse arts and promote community cohesion, celebrating our shared values.

  • During his 2 decades in the charity sector and as CEO of KECC, Gurvinder has worked extensively across Kent in partnership with community, faith and statutory sectors to promote community cohesion, engagement with diverse communities and to eliminate discrimination.  He also provides one to one support to individuals who require help and support the majority of whom have English as a second language, as well as supporting community groups through mentoring and advice on issues such as governance and access to funding.  

  • Gurvinder has a long record of working across all strands of local authority in Kent from Parish and Town Councils to District, Borough, Unitary and County.  He has also worked as a critical friend to Kent Police for over 20 years and was County Chair of the Independent Police Advisory Group from 2009 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2021.  He has sat as an Independent Member of the Police and Crime Panel since 2012 and has been Vice Chair since 2016.

  • He has also done a lot of work with local schools, universities and health service providers around community engagement, diversity and inclusion,  Gurvinder is a respected speaker who on a regular basis contributes to seminars, conferences and media discussions around racial equality, community cohesion and diversity. 

  • Gurvinder has an extensive background in the arts and is a renowned Bhangra dancer having performed all over the world since 1985 and still performs to this day.  He is the co-founder of Four By Four Bhangra, one of the leading and respected exponents of Bhangra outside of India.  Gurvinder is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the arts sector and champions increased visibility for culturally diverse artists and organisations.  He sits on the Area Council for the South East for Arts Council England. 

  • He has a long track record of producing community festivals from Saint George’s Day, to lantern parades, Mela Festivals to  Fusion Street Festivals working across Kent.

  • Outside of work he enjoys reading books around British, American and Indian politics and sports books especially about cricket, boxing and football.   Gurvinder is a passionate Everton fan and follows Kent County Cricket Club. 

  • Gurvinder also sits on the Integrated Care Board for the NHS as a Non-Executive Member and chairs the Inequalities, Population Health and Prevention Committee

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